


Red String of Destiny

by Inkpaws



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Genre: F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-07-12 10:44:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7099651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inkpaws/pseuds/Inkpaws
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They were connected by a red string of destiny, Usagi knows — she just about tripped over it.</p>
<p>[UsagixMamoru 100]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hair

**Author's Note:**

> This has been sitting on my hard drive for ages. I'm using the themes from the UsagixMamoru 100. For now, the themes will be out of order, as I'm writing which ever strikes my muse first.
> 
> Also, I'm on the look out for a beta reader, so if anyone's interested drop me a line :) I'd really appreciate it.

She'd die before she'd admit it, but Usagi often spent embarrassing amounts of time wondering what Mamoru's hair felt like. She had a problem. The very fact that some part of her wanted to touch him at all was disturbing. Why would one want to do such a thing to someone they hated? It was a question she wouldn't dare answer, something in her was terrified to find out. 

Which was easier said then done when her was right there in front of her, with that smug expression on his devilishly handsome face.

Usagi had been hoping to enjoy her chocolate chip muffin in peace. But no, fate had other things in store for her when she happily turned around from her delicious looking purchase to find him sitting in one of the cafe's booths. Obviously he'd been there a while. Apparently she'd missed him in her exuberant skip to the counter. He was reading the paper, drinking what appeared to be coffee. Usagi bit her lip, he was eating alone. Sadly not an unusual occurrence, did he have no other friends aside from Motoki?

As if sensing her stare his eyes found hers. Mamoru raised an eyebrow at her, and pointedly glanced down at her muffin. She too looked down, ignoring the flush of embarrassment as she realized just how big said muffin was. It hadn't looked so big behind the glass case, not even when the clerk handed it to her. But now it felt ginormous.

Why did he always catch her pigging out? And more importantly, since when did she care?

Shaking her head, she walked right up to him. "Are you stalking me?"

He chuckled, placing his cup down on the table. "Contrary to what you may believe, I do have a life outside of you Odango."

Usagi bristled at the nick name. "Would you stop calling me that! You're like thirty years old, it's about time you grew up."

Mamoru made a chocking noise. "I'm only eighteen!"

She knew that, Motoki had said as much to her in the past. But still—

Usagi gave him a disbelieving look, "Yeah right. What kind of eighteen year old dresses like that? Not to mention reads the newspaper in their leisure time. You should be outside having fun or, or playing video games!"

His eyes narrowed and it seemed like he was going to take the bait, instead he only shook his head. "Stop typing direct the conversation away from your freakishly large muffin."

Damn, caught out. 

"It is not freakishly large." She snapped defensively.  
  
He gave her a look of disbelief, tables officially turned. "Please, that thing dwarfs your hand." 

"It does not!" she shot back, eyes falling to confirm the ugly truth. 

"Yes it does." He insisted, then leaned back and smiled almost angelically, "But then again Odango, you might be right..."

Usagi eyed him with suspicion.

A look of pure unholy glee crossed his features. "It's probably not so big, considering the size of the portions you usually scoff down, are you dieting again?" 

Usagi's jaw dropped, this guy—this guy is awful! 

In the silence that followed, something flickered in Mamoru's eyes and he leant towards her. 

"Odango?" He called uncertainly.

Closing her mouth, Usagi carefully placed her muffin on the table. Mamoru blinked, then looked back at her. 

And that's when she went for the kill. In a flash her hands were threaded through inky black hair. She flexed her fingers madly, lightly scarping her fingernails over his scalp as she messed his formerly perfect hair.  
The bewildered look on his face was adorable but she was to angry to really appreciate it. 

"You. Are. Such. A. Jerk!" She hissed.

His hair were softer then she'd thought, the silky strands slipped between her fingers with ease. Usagi allowed her self a few moments to enjoy it, she doubted she'd have the guts to touch him in such a familiar manner again.  
It was best she soak it up now, and let the craving die out. Lest the horrible curiosity strike her in future.

His cough bought her out of her reverie, her hands stopped working through his hair. Mamoru had pulled himself together in the last minute or so, calm expression back in place.

Save for the red lightly coloring his cheeks. She'd embarrassed him, good. 

"Are you finished?"

Turning her nose up, she reluctantly removed her hands from his head. 

"Yes." She declared with haughtiest tone she could muster. 

An awkward silence descended upon them, Usagi debated taking her muffin and running. Now that her anger was abated, the line she crossed was sinking in with stark clarity. 

Should she apologize? No, no way. He'd never let her live it down.

Suddenly, she felt a slight pull on one of her pig tails. Tearing her eyes away from the muffin that started it all she looked down to see Mamoru had grasped her hair.

"Err-Mamo—" She began, but cut herself of when she saw the intense look of concentration in his eyes as her regard her hair.

He rubbed the blond strands between his fingers as if testing it's texture. Usagi stood frozen as her brought her hair to his face, and to her complete bafflement pressed it to his lips.

"Strawberry huh. Should have known...." He mused softly.

Heart pounding in her chest the world around them came rushing back. Usagi felt the eyes of the rest of the cafe on her back and let out a barely audible squeak.

Mamoru seemed to realize this too, dropping her hair as if burned. He coughed into his hand, the red stubbornly clung to his cheeks as he schooled his feature into nonchalance.

"Don't you have a test to study for or something?" He asked abruptly.

Usagi saw the opening and reached for it desperately."Yes!" she shouted, causing him to wince. "Yes I do." 

The heat in her cheeks had nothing to do with any affect he had on her, more so the with the embarrassment of him doing that to her in public. Not that she'd allow such a thing in private.

"I better go now." She said in a completely false casual way.

Then grabbing her muffin she tore it in half, the cooked dough crumbling in her hands. She slammed the bottom half, still in its wrapping on the table. Glaring at him fiercely, she shoved the top half in her mouth and stormed off vowing never to show her face in this cafe again.


	2. Cape

The mansion is about as opulent as one would expect, full of marble and priceless breakables that had Usagi sweating the moment she stepped inside. Having been visiting one of Mamoru's musician friends, they'd found themselves in the neighborhood and after witnessing some suspicious behavior, it became apparent that a robbery was in progress. 

Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask swooped in to save the day, making quick work of the robbers before they could empty the the families vault. The men were out cold, locked up in one of the coat closets. Unfortunately the alarm had been tripped, meaning they had to book it or risk getting arrest themselves. 

It would only be a matter of time before the police got there. So why was Tuxedo Mask still standing, (and in Usagi's opinion) rather awkwardly, in front of the large and gaudy vault?

"Tuxedo-Kamen, what's wrong? We have to get out of here!" Usagi whispered, the sound of police sirens blared off in the distance.

She was met with silence, lead dropped into the pit of her stomach. Was he hurt? She was about to call out again when Mamoru finally spoke up, oddly subdued. 

"It's my cape."

_His cape?_

She looked him over, "What about you're cape?" 

Then came the more embarrassed. "It's stuck." 

"Oh." Usagi said, high heeled boots clicking against the floor as she leaned in for a closer look. Sure enough the material was caught in between the now sealed door. Unless they knew the combination—which they didn't, then there was little they could do without Ami being there. 

"Can't you just rip it?" She suggested. 

"I've tried. Apparently it's made of sturdier stuff than I thought." 

She hmm'd, "Interesting. Why do you think that is? Are there other uses for your cape that we're unaware of?" 

Tuxedo Mask with a multi-purpose cape dazzled her imagination for several moments. _Make shift parachute? Picnic blanket? Toga?_

"Other uses?" He questioned with incredulity. "No—I don't want to know. I'll just unclip it at the top." 

_The easiest answers are always right in front of us._

The cape slid from his shoulders, hanging from the door like a limp bit of tissue. 

They both stared at the black and red material with various degrees of frustration. Usagi put her hands on her hips. 

"Well, did you want to give it one last big heave?" 


	3. Short Skirt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to the wonderful [Antigone2](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Antigone2/pseuds/Antigone2) for beta reading this chapter!

The fight is over relatively fast, however it's not without its causalities... 

I really didn't see that coming...' Makoto says, scratching the back of her head. "An enemy that shoots short skirts and tutus at its victims." 

"Don't worry, Tuxedo Kamen, I'll have you out of this in no time!" Usagi cries enthusiastically, pulling on the frilly material.

The mystery of where Mamoru's pants went would be certainly be debated for years to come. The man in question is red faced, trying to desperately to use his cape to cover his modesty. 

He has yet to say a word, which Makoto thinks indicates that he's dying of embarrassment on the _inside_. Minako's going to disappointed that she missed this, she's sure Ami will mostly be sympathetic.

Beside her, Rei giggles, "He's certainly got the legs for it, though." 

"Rei-chan." Usagi hissed, scandalized. "Stop ogling Tuxedo Kamen!


	4. Glasses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to the wonderful [Antigone2](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Antigone2/pseuds/Antigone2) for beta reading this chapter! Any mistakes are my own :)

"Admit it, you were jealous," Mamoru whispers, tone wicked and amused. 

"I was not," Usagi says with a glare.

They're sitting on top steps leading to the Temple, waiting for Rei to get ready for a night out to celebrate with the rest of the girls. 

It's Rei's birthday, and Usagi and Mamoru are picking her up in his car. Ami, Minako and Makoto would be meeting them at the restaurant, no doubt in an effort not to have their presents scrutinized before the birthday girl opened them. 

Rei had this terrible habit of simply looking at a present and guessing what it was. It was frustrating to anyone wanting to surprise her, to say the least. 

Usagi stares down at her shoes, pretty strappy things that cost her entire allowance.  How they got onto the topic of when Mamoru when went on a date with Rei she doesn't know. But even now it irks her. 

"So you went out on a date with Umino...because of his fetching taste in eyeware?"

Gods, they were hideous glasses. Usagi sincerely hopes Umino has changed them...somehow she doubts it.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she continues blithely.

"Hmm, right. Even so, indulge me, Usako. What were you two doing - and in such close proximity, I might add- to where Rei and I were having our date?" 

"Merely a coincidence." 

"Really? He seemed so adamant that you'd asked him out. On the exact same day I was on a date with Rei."

She had a feeling he was deliberately reiterating the words _date_ and _Rei_ , just it annoy her. 

It was working.

"Alright," she says, turning to him, "Umino used to have a thing for me. So enamored was he by my good looks and charms that he created a fantasy, a fantasy where I—A girl who'd only ever seen him as a friend had asked him out while squatting in front of random cafe. Thank goodness he got over me—" 

Mamoru is laughing, leaning back on his elbows, looking elegantly sprawled over the steps. "That's as close as I'm going to get to you admitting the truth isn't it?" 

Usagi cocks her head, "I'm _Sailor Moon_ , would I lie?" 

He shakes his head, and Usagi leans back with him. His smile is still a little smug, and Usagi can't resist ducking in for a kiss. 

The warm slide of his lips against hers send electricity through her veins and she sighs. They hear the click of Rei's heels in the distance all too soon and pull back, Mamoru resting his forehead against hers.

"So jealous." He says, grinning. 

Usagi pinches him in retaliation just as Rei asks, "Who's jealous?"

Mamoru's grin turns into a smirk that would be melting her insides if not for the alarm bells ringing. 

"Oh, Usako and I were just talking about that time we crashed her and Umino's date." 

"Ha, so she admits it was a date? Finally." Rei says, swinging her purse over her shoulder.

Usagi reminds herself to hold her tongue, since it is Rei's birthday. For now, though, she lets her mind take a walk down memory lane, comforting herself with images of Rei springing  around a corner at Mamoru—only to trip and fall face first into the ground.


	5. Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much love to [Antigone2](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Antigone2/pseuds/Antigone2) for cleaning this up and making it so much better.

He doesn't know what wakes him up, but the clock on his beside tables tells him it's just after two. Mamoru sighs, pulling the covers over his head. He then spends the next several minutes tossing and turning. 

It's not like it's one of those nights when his mind refuses to stop thinking, going on and on and picking up different threads until he passes out from exhaustion. No, Mamoru doesn't have anything particular on his mind at the moment except perhaps sleeping.  
Ten minutes later, frustration has him kicking off the blankest and getting out of bed, maybe a glass of water will help.

He considers other sleep remedies - like reading a book for a short time - and heads into the kitchen. Then he freezes. Someone’s out on the balcony. Mamoru can see the figure silhouetted from behind the curtains.  
Heart thudding in his chest, he walks over to the sliding door. He tries to peek through the gap in the curtains but the angle is all wrong.

No use, better get it over with. He whips back the curtain, ready to —

Usagi sits huddle up on the ground, clearly startled. Her eyes are red and puffy and she's barefoot in her pink pajamas.

"Usako?" He calls, unlocking the door and sliding it open. 

He wonders how she got up here, then spots the brooch clipped to her pajama top and puts two and two together. 

Usagi smiles, but it looks painfully forced. She scratches the back of her head. “Oh. Mamo-chan did I wake you? I'm sorry."

"What are you doing here at this hour?" _What's wrong?_

She laughs, "I was...just in the neighborhood. Thought I'd stop by, but then I'd figured you'd be asleep so I—"

He stares at her, the moment feeling surreal. A breeze tickles the back of his neck, Usagi's hair sways with it. He shivers; the air has a biting chill and it has him reaching for her.

"Come inside, it's freezing out here." 

Usagi shuffles backwards, holding up her hands, "That's alright, I was going to leave—"

"Usako, please come inside," he says pleadingly, then adds, "I can't sleep.”

That has her straightening up, eyes softening in concern, "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare, do you feel sick?" 

"Come inside, and you'll find out," He says, turning around to do just that.

He catches the pout she sends his way, before she's walking back into the apartment and shutting the door behind her. 

He sits down on the couch, patting the empty space in invitation. Usagi sits beside him, stiff and oddly demure. 

"Are you alright?" She asks softly.

"Yes, but right now I more concerned about what's going on with you.'

"It's no big deal, like I said—"  


Mamoru grab her hand and squeezes, "Usako, something's wrong. I know it is, it's not like you camp outside my apartment every night."

Usagi finally meets his eye, she looks almost stricken. His chest tightens and he tries to lighten the mood. 

He raises an eyebrow, "Right?"

She splutters, cheeks coloring, "No! That would be creepy, only a stalker would do that." 

"Funny, rumor has it you used to follow me around, hide behind bushes. Stalker stuff."

Her jaw drops, "What?"

Mamoru shrugs, "I mean, I didn't witness the behavior myself, but my sources are very credible."

"Who told you?"

"My sources are also confidential," he says with mock sympathy," they had such interesting information to share. According to them, you stalked me, on multiple occasions without my knowledge. "

"Lies," Usagi mumbles, alone with something that sounded a lot like _traitors_.

"Don't be embarrassed, hey—I'm flattered." 

She huffs, smile playing at her lips. That was more like it, still—

"So, we've danced around it enough," He says, tone gentle, "What's wrong?"

"I—uh. Had a nightmare." She says, like a confession. 

"A bad one?" He's pulling into his arms before he can think about it. 

She nods frantically."A really, really bad one.”

Mamoru watches her."Do you want to tell me about it?"

Her eyes look shiny, and her chin wobbles."No...not yet. Maybe later, is that okay?"

"Of course it is," he says with unshakable certainty. 

She snuggles into his shoulder with a content sigh. Usagi has the weight of the world on her shoulders, a young girl and a warrior. Destined to be the future queen of Earth. If he can be her safe haven, a shoulder to cry on or a pillar to support her...

Mamoru would stand a thousand sleepless nights.


End file.
